Voting of presidential election 2018 has begun in Maldives.
Elections Commission of the Maldives has placed 472 ballot boxes, for 262,135 persons eligible to vote in this election. 302 ballot boxes have been placed in the islands and cities, 122 in the capital City Malé, 35 in resort islands, one box each in four jails, and one each in two airports and two industrial islands. Five ballot boxes have also been placed abroad with 2 boxes in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 1 box in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 1 box in London, United Kingdom, 1one box in Thiruvananthapuram, India. The election is being held in the presence of 38 international elections observers from 11 international agencies which include domestic and international monitors.
The two candidates contesting in the upcoming presidential election are incumbent President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom will be bidding for a second five-year term, while the opposition party Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has granted the presidential ticket to Parliamentarian Ibrahim Mohamed Solih as its presidential candidate.
This is the third Presidential election held in the Maldives, following the adoption of the 2008 Constitution, which paved the way for multi-party democracy in the Maldives. The President and Vice-President, elected today, will be sworn in on November 17, 2018.
Counting of votes will take place at the polling stations, after closing the ballot boxes, and interim results will be announced immediately after counting is finished.